Folklore of Hampshire

Folklore of Hampshire records the county’s traditions, customs and legends, from seasonal observances and saints’ lore to beliefs about witches, ghosts and weather. Penny Legg brings together stories rooted in Hampshire communities, showing how customs once practised in everyday life have survived, altered or disappeared.

Among the examples are the Maiden’s Garlands of Abbotts Ann, the charitable Tichborne Dole and the familiar saying that St Swithun’s rain will last for forty days. The book also considers Hampshire music and superstition, while speaking to the ‘Hampshire Hogs’, whose activities help keep older folklore in public memory. These accounts present local belief as part of the county’s social and cultural history.